50017: He masturbated not knowing that it invalidates the fast

Allaah enabled me to repent a year ago. Today I heard that masturbation is one of the things that invalidate the fast, which I did not know before. I have committed this sin in Ramadaan in the past. I do not know what to do. I don’t know how many times I committed this sin. Please advise me what I should do.

Praise be to Allaah.

Firstly:

Praise be to Allaah Who has guided you to repent. We ask Him
to accept your repentance and forgive your sins and guide you.

Secondly:

The scholars differed concerning one who does an action that
invalidates the fast not knowing that it does so – is his fast invalidated
by that or not? There are two opinions.

The first is that it does invalidate the fast. This is the
view of al-Shaafa’i and Ahmad, but al-Shaafa’i made an exception in the case
of one who is new in Islam or who grew up in a remote area far from
knowledgeable people – in such cases it does not invalidate the fast.

Al-Nawawi said in al-Majmoo’ (6/356):

If a fasting person eats,
drinks or has intercourse not knowing that it is haraam – if he is new in
Islam or grew up in a remote area and was unaware that this is something
that breaks the fast – then it does not invalidate his fast, because it is
not a sin. He is like one who forgets, as described in the texts. But if he
used to mix with the Muslims in such a way that had no excuse for not
knowing that this breaks the fast, then his fast is invalidated, because of
his negligence (and failure to seek knowledge).

See al-Mughni, 4/368; al-Kaafi, 2/244

This view was favoured by
the scholars of the Standing Committee, who were asked about someone who
masturbated during the day in Ramadaan and did not know that this is haraam,
and he did not know how many days he committed this forbidden action. They
replied:

He has to make up the days when he broke his fast because of
the “secret habit”, because it invalidates the fast. He should try to work
out the number of days when he broke the fast.

Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah,
10/258.

The second opinion is
that it does not invalidate his fast, just as the fast of one who forgets is
not invalidated.

This view was favoured by Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah and
Ibn al-Qayyim.

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said in al-Fataawa al-Kubra
(2/19):

If the fasting person does something that breaks the fast
because he does not know that it is haraam, does he have to repeat the fast?
According to two opinions in the madhhab of Ahmad, it seems that he does not
have to make up any of those fasts, because accountability only comes until
after the message reaches a person, because Allaah says (interpretation of
the meaning):

“this Qur’aan has been revealed to me that I may therewith
warn you and whomsoever it may reach”

[al-An’aam 6:19]

“And We never punish until We have sent a Messenger (to
give warning)”

[al-Isra’ 17:15]

“…in order that mankind should have no plea against Allaah
after the (coming of) Messengers”

[al-Nisa’ 4:165]

There are several such verses in the Qur’aan, in which Allaah
states that He does not punish anyone until the message that was brought by
the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) reaches him.
Whoever knows that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allaah and believes in that,
but does not know much of the message that he brought, will not be punished
by Allaah for that of which he did not hear, for He only punishes people for
not believing after the message reaches them. This is the Sunnah of the
Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) which
narrated in many reports. It is proven in the books of saheeh that a number
of the Sahaabah thought that the words of Allaah “until the white thread
appears to you distinct from the black thread” [al-Baqarah 2:187 –
interpretation of the meaning] referred to a white string and a black
string, so one of them would tie strings to his leg and eat until he could
distinguish the one from the other. The Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) explained that what was meant by the white thread was
the day, and by the black the night, but he did not command them to repeat
their fasts.

Ibn al-Qayyim said in I’laam al-Muwaqqi’een (4/66):

He (meaning the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)) excused those who ate or
drank deliberately during the day in Ramadaan, not by mistake, because they
thought that the black and white threads referred to strings, so they would
eat and drink until they could tell the one from the other when the day had
begun. He excused them for that and did not tell them to make up the fasts,
because of their misunderstanding.

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen was asked about a young man who
masturbated in Ramadaan, not knowing that it breaks the fast, when he was
overcome by desire – what is the ruling in this case?

He replied:

The ruling is that he does not have to do anything, because
we have stated above that the fasting person does not break his fast unless
three conditions are met: knowledge, remembering and wanting to do that
thing. See question no. 28023.

But I say that people should be patient in refraining from
masturbation because it is haraam. Allaah says (interpretation of the
meaning):

“And those who guard their chastity (i.e. private parts,
from illegal sexual acts)

6. Except from their wives or (the slaves) that their
right hands possess, for then, they are free from blame;

7. But whoever seeks beyond that, then those are the
transgressors”

[al-Mu’minoon 23:5-7]

And the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “O young men, whoever
among you can afford to get married, let him do so, and whoever cannot then
let him fast, for it will be a shield for him.”

Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5065; Muslim, 1400.

If masturbation were
permissible the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
would suggested it to people, because it is easier and because people find
pleasure in it, unlike fasting which is difficult. But because the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) suggested fasting, this
indicates that masturbation is not permissible.

Majmoo’ Fataawa Ibn ‘Uthaymeen,
19/981.

In order to be on the
safe side, you should make up these days, and try to work out how many they
are likely to be.

Shaykh Ibn Baaz said in Majmoo’ al-Fataawa (15/304):

If a person has intercourse during the day in Ramadaan and he
is someone who is required to fast, because he is an adult of sound mind who
is not traveling, out of ignorance (that it is haraam), the scholars
differed concerning his case. Some of them said that he has to offer
expiation, because he failed to ask and try to understand his religion.
Other scholars said that he does not have to offer expiation because he was
ignorant. Hence we know that in order to on the safe side you should offer
expiation, because you failed to ask what is forbidden to you before you did
what you did.

So he (Shaykh Ibn Baaz) told him to offer expiation so as to
be on the safe side, and the reason why expiation in this case was
obligatory is because he broke the fast by having intercourse. Expiation is
not required for any of the things that break the fast except intercourse
during the day in Ramadaan, as previously stated in the answer to question
no. 28023.